08/07/2019
Official Secrets Act, 1923 (Act No. XIX of 1923).
THE OFFICIAL SECRETS ACT, 1923
(ACT NO. XIX OF 1923).
[2nd April, 1923]
1 An Act to consolidate and amend the law in Bangladesh relating to official
secrets.
Preamble
2[ * * *]
WHEREAS it is expedient that the law relating to official secrets in Bangladesh should be
consolidated and amended;
It is hereby enacted as follows:
Short title, extent
and application
1.(1) This Act may be called the Official Secrets Act, 1923.
(2) It extends to the whole of Bangladesh, and applies also to all
citizens of Bangladesh and persons in the service of 3[ the Republic]
wherever they may be.
Definitions
2. In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or
context,
(1) any reference to a place belonging to Government includes a place
occupied by any department of the Government, whether the place is
or is not actually vested in Government;
(2) expressions referring to communicating or receiving include any
communicating or receiving, whether in whole or in part, and whether
the sketch, plan, model, article, note, document, or information itself or
the substance, effect or description thereof only be communicated or
received; expressions referring to obtaining or retaining any sketch,
plan, model, article, note or document, include the copying or causing
to be copied of the whole or any part of any sketch, plan, model,
article, note, or document; and expressions referring to the
communication of any sketch, plan, model, article, note or document
include the transfer or transmission of the sketch, plan, model, article,
note or document;
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[ * * *]
(3) "document" includes part of a document;
(4) "model" includes design, pattern and specimen;
(5) "munitions of war" includes the whole or any part of any ship,
submarine, aircraft, tank or similar engine, arms and ammunition,
torpedo, or mine intended or adopted for use in war, and any other
article, material, or device, whether actual or proposed, intended for
such use;
(6) "Office under Government" includes any office or employment in or
under any department of the Government;
(7) "photograph" includes an undeveloped film or plate;
bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd/print_sections_all.php?id=132
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